Oriental Letter Opener Mystery Mark Silver 1000

[Smith.Joshua.80]

I have this letter opener I inherited and I can't find anything out about it. The silver mark doesn't show up on any of my searches. I'm not sure who/where to go to for further information. Can anyone help?

[davidross]

Welcome to the Forum.

From the design and the marks, it does not look to be of Asian origin, so most likely it is indeed "Oriental."

Another possibility is that it was produced in a former colony, like Hong Kong, exclusively for the tourist trade.

As it is an inherited piece, family history and provenance should offer some clues about its age and origin. Sharing that information might be helpful.

Regards

DR

[Smith.Joshua.80]

This belonged to my grandfather. He served in the Asiatic campaign during world War II. He may have aquired it at that time. I am not aware of him travelling over seas at any other time. He brought home a number of war trophies. Among them were swords and a rifle. He never spoke of this item though.

[Smith.Joshua.80]

Any help would be appreciated...

[Traintime]

To start, there is no such thing as Silver 1000. The purest silver used in plating is rated at .999 as there is always some impurity. Is the mark on the case only? Could be a stock number. Tried to blow up the top symbol but resolution fades. What is it? Most letter openers with either be solid metal single cast or sterling handle applied. Which is this? If solid, expect stainless blade with color added to fill in detail on handle or complete plating. Sterling blades are soft and pliable, so plated brass and stainless have largely replaced that in the post-war era.

[Traintime]

Looking back at your photos I now see this is not a case but the flat back of the letter opener that is marked. This is a good sign...with the mold to one side only, this could be real silver poured into an open mold, either coin or sterling. The question remains what the 1000 represents.

[Traintime]

Additionally, why do you say this is oriental. When I try to enlarge the photos, I lose the resolution. So to me, what looks like a serpent could be as easily Nordic as Asian. Is the top symbol nautical..looks like maybe a Viking boat. What are you seeing?

[WarrenKundis]

What it appears to be and we do need clearer images, is a dragon with Ken sword (Kenmaki-ryu). ...Represents manifestation of Fudo Myo-o, Kurikara Ryujin coiled around a sword....

Hope this helps
Warren